In the color photographic film processing, color developers are used that contain as their main constituent a color developer in an alkaline-medium. Such a color developer also contains other constituents such as permeabilizing agents, antifogging agents, preservatives, etc.
It is known that the different constituents of a color developer can be packaged separately. It is thus obtained kits for photographic processing, generally comprising several parts each containing one or more constituents of the developer. These different parts are mixed, and if necessary diluted by the end user, to obtain the ready-to-use color developer. Such packaging in kit form is necessary because the different constituents of the color developer become unstable once present together in the same solution. Further, photographic processing kits are designed to facilitate the preparation of the ready-to-use developer by a non-specialized end user.
For processing motion picture film, there exists a kit comprising two concentrated solutions, called concentrates, namely an alkaline concentrate and a concentrate containing the developer, and a solid part consisting of 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid as a wet powder. This arrangement does not allow the automated manufacture of the kit, because the packaging of the powder is difficult to industrialize.
In addition, to obtain a homogeneous developer from these liquid concentrates and this solid part, it is necessary to mix the different components of the kit in a certain order, so that the powder dissolves completely.